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While cobbling together a schedule for this season, Canal Winchester cross country coach John Bender had to choose between hardware and hard races.
Taking home first-place trophies might boost his runners’ egos, but it wouldn’t toughen them for a run at the Division II title.
"I knew this group of boys had the potential to be very special, so I scheduled some bigger meets to challenge them," Bender said. "I wanted to see what they can do against some of the best teams and individuals around.
"It’s fun to race teams like Peninsula Woodridge and Cincinnati LaSalle that people know about so you can gauge how much better you’re getting."
The Indians placed sixth Oct. 7 with 201 points in the Les Eisenhart Invitational at Thomas Worthington. Trailing Woodridge (46) and LaSalle (52) — the topranked teams in Divisions II and I, respectively — and a handful of the area’s top big-school programs was no shame.
Canal Winchester returned everyone but frontrunner Scott Wildermuth from its 2005 regional championship team that placed seventh in the state. Improving on that finish is foremost on the mind of Bender’s team, which consists primarily of juniors.
Cory Irwin, Tim Williard and Nick Meidl have consistently run in the 16-minute, 20-second to 16:45 range, but fourth runner Greg McDaniel recently was lost for the season with mononucleosis. That forces Adam Wheeler (the lone senior), Nate Meidl, Tyler Griffith and Christian Edens to close the gap.
"Fortunately, one of our strengths is our depth, so we still have the same goals intact," Bender said. "The biggest challenge we face is getting our Nos. 4, 5, 6 and 7 runners closer to our first three. We’re still not as good as we’d like to be, but we’re getting there."
Ready or not …
The Central District meet Saturday at Watkins Memorial will begin, for some, an arduous elimination process capped by the state meet Nov. 4 at Scioto Downs.
One of the more intriguing subplots involves the Division I girls competition. Thomas Worthington, Dublin Coffman and Pickerington North have volleyed back and forth as the area’s best teams. Upper Arlington isn’t far behind, and defending regional champion Hilliard Darby, which recently welcomed the return of injured all-Ohioan Erika Alpeter from a stress fracture, could make a bid.
Four teams will advance out of the Pickerington North regional.
"It’s going to be really interesting to see how things shake out," Dublin Coffman coach Jim Ferguson said. "Right now, I think Thomas Worthington is probably the team to beat, but we return Tiffany Evans from an illness, and she’ll add to our depth. Hilliard Darby is sort of an unknown quantity. And Upper Arlington always seems to pull it together this time of year."
Head-to-head, Thomas Worthington defeated Dublin Coffman three out of five times.
Led by Ellen Birmingham, Julie Rechel and Kelsey McAlpine, Worthington has the superior front group. But Coffman’s pack, led by Ashley Zanko and Chelsea France, is tighter. Pickerington North has four solid runners but a significant gap before No. 5.